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Key Highlights

  • Can govt MPs vote against PM now?

  • Peace in Bersatu?

  • Govt to promote AG to top judge?

Can govt MPs vote against PM now?

Dewan Rakyat speaker Johari Abdul may have set the stage for government MPs to vote against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and not lose their seats.

This is after Johari rejected Bersatu's bid to vacate the seats of six MPs who threw their support behind Anwar.

For five of the MPs, Johari ruled that Bersatu's membership forfeiture clause is basically unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, for the remaining MP, the speaker said he would not make a decision as the lawmaker is suing Bersatu in court.

Bersatu's forfeiture rule is similar to that used by DAP and Umno - meaning those rules are also likely defective now.

These rules were meant to plug a loophole in the anti-hopping law where MPs who rebel against their parties get to keep their seats as long as they don't quit.

Contrary to what DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and others believe, Johari's ruling had nothing to do with when Bersatu introduced the rule.

Anwar blamed Bersatu for creating the loophole, but says the government is open to fixing it.

Meanwhile, Selangor legislature speaker Lau Weng San ruled that there was "insufficient evidence" to vacate the seat of a former Bersatu assemblyperson.

HIGHLIGHTS

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Peace in Bersatu?

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin has seemingly brokered a truce between rivals within his party.

There had been persistent rumours that Bersatu leaders Hamzah Zainudin, Ahmad Faizal Azumu, and Azmin Ali were in a fierce rivalry to gain power within the party.

This was supposed to come to a head at the Bersatu party elections this year.

However, Muhyiddin seemingly secured a deal where Hamzah would contest for the deputy presidency, Faizal would step down and contest for a vice-president post, while Azmin would be made secretary-general.

However, Bersatu vice-president Ronald Kiandee said that Muhyiddin's proposal did not mean there would be no contests for those positions.

HIGHLIGHTS

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Govt to promote AG to top judge?

Speculation is rife that the government plans to elevate Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh to one day become the chief judge of Malaya.

The plan is reportedly to appoint Terrirudin as a Federal Court judge first before taking on the chief judge post.

Former deputy law and institutional reforms minister Ramkarpal Singh, however, opined that this was a regressive move that went against the government's commitment to reforms.

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